Lancashire Telegraph Racing Column

Robin Hoods Bay can finally gain the recognition his efforts deserve by winning the main event on All-Weather Championships Finals Day at Lingfield.

Post-race chatter following the Winter Derby over this course and distance tended to revolve around the perceived no-show from hot favourite Grandeur.

Jeremy Noseda’s high calibre thoroughbred admittedly had a bad draw that day, but, even so, Robin Hoods Bay clinically had that one well held.

Be that as it may, Grandeur remains at the top of the betting for the Coral Easter Classic All-Weather Middle Distance Championships Conditions Stakes when the pair renew rivalry.

This is probably fair. Noseda’s contender has posted some pretty excellent efforts in good company and easily defeated Vaughan’s charge in February.

That said, connections of Robin Hoods Bay must surely fancy their chances of upholding the form, such was his supremacy in the Winter Derby.

The gelded son of Motivator has improvement almost out of sight this year, and is especially adept over Lingfield’s mile-and-a-quarter trip.

Such is Robin Hoods Bay’s never-say-die constitution, he rates as pretty good value to unsettle the much-vaunted Grandeur, who admittedly has a much better stalls position this time.

Chookie Royale is worthy of support in the Ladbrokes All-Weather Mile Championships Conditions Stakes.

Things went a little awry in the Lincoln at Doncaster - he was never a factor on ground that was softer than ideal - but it is possibly more beneficial to focus upon his penultimate outing over seven furlongs at Wolverhampton.

Keith Dalgleish’s six-year-old absolutely hosed up in a Listed race, in which the well-regarded Hasopop was over three lengths in arrears.

Chookie Royale has yet to show he is as good at Lingfield as he is at Wolverhampton, but this rise in distance is unquestionably a positive for the highest-rated horse in the line-up.

It would be very dangerous to dismiss the utterly likeable Hawkeyethenoo in the bookmakers.co.uk All-Weather Sprint Championships Conditions Stakes.

Jim Goldie’s eight-year-old has not had the greatest of winters, but he had set some very quick times over course and distance earlier in the year - albeit without success.

Hawkeyethenoo is an obvious threat at this level and could feasibly pop up at a fair price if he is on a going day.

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